Short Answer: Yogurt is good for high cholesterol. Because it has probiotics, calcium, and protein, and they can lower LDL cholesterol, reduce cholesterol absorption, and prevent overeating.
High cholesterol is a condition that affects your blood vessels and heart.
In high cholesterol, your body has too much of a fatty substance called cholesterol in your blood.
This can cause fatty deposits to build up in your arteries, narrowing them and reducing blood flow.
This can lead to various health problems, such as heart attack, stroke, and peripheral artery disease.
One of the key factors in managing high cholesterol is diet.
What you consume can affect your cholesterol levels, which can impact your high cholesterol symptoms and overall health.
To effectively manage high cholesterol, you should consume fiber-rich foods like oats, beans, and fruits, and avoid saturated fat-rich foods like butter, cheese, and red meat.
Now, yogurt is a dairy product made by fermenting milk with a yogurt culture.
People usually eat it plain or with added flavors, fruits, nuts, or granola.
Yogurt is good for high cholesterol because it contains probiotics, calcium, and protein.
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can help lower cholesterol by breaking down bile acids in your gut.
Calcium can help reduce the absorption of cholesterol from your food.
Protein can help you feel full and prevent overeating.
One cup of plain, low-fat yogurt can give you 49% of your daily calcium needs, 12 grams of protein (24% of your daily needs), and 4 grams of fat (6% of your daily needs).
Probiotics can positively affect high cholesterol by lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol and raising HDL (good) cholesterol.
Calcium can positively affect high cholesterol by binding to cholesterol in your intestines and preventing it from entering your bloodstream.
Protein can positively affect high cholesterol by reducing your appetite and calorie intake.
Furthermore, yogurt is a fermented food and fermented foods are good for high cholesterol.
Because, they can improve your gut health and lower inflammation, which are both linked to high cholesterol.
You can eat one to three servings of yogurt per day safely.
More than that can cause bloating, gas, or diarrhea.
Also, you shouldn’t eat yogurt if you have lactose intolerance or a milk allergy to prevent digestive problems or allergic reactions.
Because, yogurt contains lactose and milk proteins, which can trigger these conditions.
You can buy fresh yogurt in your local market or can order it from online.
Always choose plain, low-fat, and unsweetened yogurt.
Because, flavored, full-fat, and sweetened yogurt can have more calories, fat, and sugar, which can raise your cholesterol.
You can store yogurt in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Finally, remember, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, stress management and essential medical care is key to managing high cholesterol effectively.
I always recommend my high cholesterol patients to follow a high cholesterol-friendly diet to improve their overall well-being, and enjoy a longer and healthier life.